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Since we first
began publishing
Elevate Nevada more
than a year ago, I
have been eager to do
a Doctor’s issue. As
we covered various
medical issues during
the last year from
epilepsy, PTSD, cancer,
and diabetes to neuropathy, migraines,
and concussions (to name only a few)
that cannabis is used to treat, I wanted
to provide readers with a local resource
who could provide the necessary
medical guidance.
But because cannabis is still
federally illegal, there are not a whole
lot of people who have the luxury of
risking their very hard earned medical
licenses. Additionally, because it is
a Schedule 1 drug, which makes it a
tough prospect to study and test, access
to research makes it challenging to
knowledgably treat patients interested
in medicating with cannabis.
In turn, medical knowledge and
expertise regarding specific conditions
and illnesses was a fairly significant
puzzle piece that has always been
missing in each issue. So I continued to
put off publishing a Doctor’s issue.
But on April 15 I was heartened
to see that a group of more than 50
physicians, including a former surgeon
general and faculty members at some
of the nation's leading medical schools,
announced the formation of Doctors
for Cannabis Regulation (DFCR). DFCR
is the first national organization of
doctors to call on states and the federal
government to legalize and regulate
the use of marijuana in the interest of
public health.
The group’s website acknowledges
that: Until recently, many physicians
have been reluctant to publicly
voice their opposition to the war on

marijuana, lest they
appear to condone
recreational cannabis use
and violate their ethical
responsibility to “do no
harm.” But through daily
immersion in anecdotal
patient experience and
scientific evidence,
many knowledgeable
American physicians recognize:
• Use of cannabis by healthy
adults is generally benign,
making its prohibition
unnecessary.
• Cannabis is far less harmful
for adults than alcohol and
tobacco, which are both legal
because of the impracticality of
prohibiting so-called ‘soft’ drugs.
• Cannabis can be harmful to
minors, but prohibition doesn’t
prevent children and teens from
accessing the drug.
• The burden of cannabis
prohibition falls disproportionately
upon communities of color and the
nation’s poor.
So in spite of the fact I only knew
a handful of medical professionals
working in Nevada’s cannabis space,
I decided it was, indeed, the perfect
time for a Doctor’s issue with the tide
turning, common sense prevailing, and
physicians, like those who are a part of
DFCR, taking a stand.
It’s the right time because,
perhaps, if physicians on the fence
about medical cannabis recognized the
strides being made by their colleagues,
more doctors would be open to
learning about this miracle plant for
the sake of their patients.
With an open mind,

INGREDIENTS:
Chef Danielle Russell, more popularly
known as Chef Dee, is our contributing
canna-chef this month. Chef Dee has been
featured on streaming network site Breal.TV,
Snoop Dogg's Merry Jane, and in High Times.
Dubbing herself The Happy Chef, Chef Dee
has authored two cookbooks: “The Happy
Chef: Dr. Greenthumb” and “The Happy Chef
THC: 50 Shades of Green” and also offers
an array of recipes at thehappychefthc.com.

PART 1: GELATIN SOLVENT
In separate pot, make a water bath with a candy thermometer keeping
temperature around 150°F. Pour 70 grams of gelatin and 140 grams of water
into a ziplock bag. Mix thoroughly, removing clumps and streaks. Cook in
water bath for 20-30 minutes until clear.

Please remember when cooking with medicinal cannabis you are
cooking with a medicine and the medicine amount and portions of the
food ingested should always be taken into consideration. Always start
out with small portions or doses and wait 30 minutes to an hour before
eating any additional portions of food that has been medicated.

-Combine parts 1 and 2. Add *food color, citric acid, and flavor of choice.
*Add 6-10 drops for a good hue. Mix well!
-Let the mixture set awhile, approximately 25-30 minutes, until it thickens,
viscous (pourable, not watery).
-Place parchment paper on baking tray, covering all sides. Coat the parchment
lightly with cornstarch. Pour the mixture onto tray or, if you are comfortable
with the viscous consistency of your mixture, you may pour the mixture right
on to the parchment allowing it to pool, but it shouldn’t be too much of a
liquid consistency so as not to stay on sheet.
-Let mixture set 5-10 minutes on parchment.
-Grab the other baking tray. Place the parchment paper covering the bottom of
the baking tray. Fill tray with Nerds. Take your "slab" of gummy mixture and
slice into desired sized ropes.
-Roll the ropes in your pool of Nerds and get ready to enjoy.

june | elevatenv.com

5

ELEVATE
YOUR STATE

Medical cannabis updates
from across the United States

ILLINOIS: A bill to remove criminal
penalties for possession of a personal amount of
marijuana has passed both the House and Senate of the
Illinois Legislature and will now be sent to Governor Bruce Rauner for
his signature. SB 2228 would lower penalties by removing the possibility
of arrest and a jail sentence for the possession of up to 10 grams of
marijuana. It would also remove the possibility of a criminal record for
cannabis possession, which can last a lifetime, and instead, the bill would
replace criminal penalties with a fine of between $100 and $200. Once the
governor officially receives the bill, he will have up to 60 days to sign it
into law.

CALIFORNIA:
The Golden Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initiative to
legalize and regulate marijuana
is headed for the November
ballot. In early May, Lieutenant
Governor Gavin Newsom,
leading a coalition of supporters
that included physicians, law
enforcement and civil rights
leaders, said the campaign had
gathered approximately 600,000
petition signatures of registered
voters, well above the 365,880
minimum required to qualify the
initiative for the November 8th
ballot. Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Adult Use
of Marijuana Act calls for a
15% tax on retail sales of
cannabis.

TENNESSEE: During
the final week of the 2016
Tennessee legislative session in
April, Governor Bill Haslam signed HB
1478 into law, which eliminates the provision
that makes a third conviction for possession of marijuana a felony. The
law will take effect on July 1, 2016. This change reduces the penalty for
third-time possession from between one and six years of incarceration to
less than one year in jail. In addition, having a misdemeanor rather than a
felony record will reduce the collateral consequences associated with the conviction.
The bill also increases penalties for repeat DUI offenders and makes third-time possession of all
drugs, with the exception of heroin, no longer a felony.

MAINE: In late April, state officials
announced that a proposed initiative to end
marijuana prohibition in Maine officially
qualified for the November ballot. After a courtordered review of petitions it had previously
invalidated, the Maine Secretary of State’s Office
determined the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana
Like Alcohol submitted more than the 61,123
signatures necessary to qualify. According to
a new poll released this week
by the Maine People’s
Resource Center, nearly
54% of likely voters
would approve
the initiative if the
election were held
today. Approximately
42% said they would
oppose it.

CONNECTICUT: In 2012,
Connecticut enacted a medical
marijuana program that allows
seriously ill patients access to
medical marijuana. However, the
law does not allow access for minor
patients. Of the 24 states that have
medical marijuana programs,
Connecticut is the only state that
does not allow access for younger
patients. A bill currently being
considered, HB 5450, would allow
minors to be qualifying patients. It
would also allow dispensaries to
distribute marijuana to hospices and
other inpatient facilities and would
allow nurses to administer
marijuana in licensed
healthcare facilities.

“Honestly, I was ignorant and misinformed before
taking this tour,” Henderson patient Jada Webb explains
of Las Vegas Medical Marijuana Association’s (LVMMA)
Industry Focus Tour. When Webb took the tour this
past February, she was a new medical cannabis patient
cardholder—and extremely unsure of her decision.
So Webb, who asked that her real name not be used,
decided to find out firsthand about Nevada’s medical
cannabis industry by taking the trade association’s tour
alongside other patients, business professionals, and
LVMMA President John Laub, who directed the tour.
A typical Industry Focus Tour, which LVMMA
debuted in December 2015, allows patients to explore three
dispensaries and either a lab or cultivation with the aim of
showcasing what is going on in Nevada’s cannabis space.
LVMMA President John Laub notes that other states like
Colorado, where cannabis is also legal, offer tours. LVMMA
decided to follow suit and started the tours as a way for the
business community and patients to see the dispensaries,
labs and cultivation facilities as well as bring attention to
Southern Nevada’s newest industry.

8

elevatenv.com | june

“We want the community to see how serious the
industry is about its mission to serve patients,” Laub
explains. “We believe that we have the best looking
dispensaries in the world and we are very proud of the
testing that our labs perform. Las Vegas should be proud of
what this industry has accomplished.”
The monthly tour, which costs $50 per person, falls on
the last Friday of the month and usually fills up two buses,
with nearly 60 patients and business professionals along for
the ride.
Webb’s tour started at The Apothecary Shoppe, a
dispensary located across from the Palms. Here, according
to Webb, is when she began to realize that cannabis is
anything but the stigma with which it is surrounded by.
From meeting the owner of the dispensary to touring the
newly remodeled facility with a resource book in hand,
Webb says, “It was all just amazing. It went way beyond
medicine.”
Next, Webb’s tour group visited MM Lab. Sectioned
into smaller groups, she learned about Nevada’s stringent
cannabis testing regulations from MM’s laboratory director.

“That day wasn’t about buying medicine. Instead, I learned
about what I was taking," remarks Webb.
Patient safety is a factor covered by all the facilities on
each stop of the tour but MM Lab specifically caught Webb off
guard. “There’s so many different
things that cannabis is tested for…
things I never thought to even look
into as a patient,” she explains.
“But it really made me feel better
about using weed as medicine.”
The third stop on the Industry
Focus Tour Webb took was
NevadaPure, which is licensed as a
dispensary as well as a cultivation/
production facility. When Webb
stepped into the cultivation room, she was surprised by its
size. “NevadaPure was seriously massive. I mean it! It was
nothing like I’ve ever seen before—like a department store for
marijuana,” she explains of the facility’s 50,000-square-foot
grow area.
The LVMMA tour group was met by NevadaPure’s
owners, who schooled Webb on the detail-oriented and
lengthy cultivation process. “The time it takes for weed to be
grown legally and safely is incredible,” says Webb. “Seeing

NevadaPure, I felt a wave of gratitude come over me. It
sounds corny, but it’s really true.”
The final stop on Webb’s tour was to a third dispensary,
Oasis Medical Cannabis Dispensary located on Industrial
Road. Laub believes the dispensaries
are a vital part of the tour. “It’s
important that the dispensaries
integrate with the community,” he
explains. “Most people don’t know
that they can visit a dispensary, they
can go inside and sign in as a visitor
to see what it is all about. Right now
that outreach is extremely important
as this industry ramps up.”
Webb seconds that. “I really
had no idea what was going on at first, but I can say that I
needed this to ease my doubt,” she concludes of her LVMMA
Industry Focus Tour experience and decision to be patient
cardholder.
LVMMA’s Industry Focus Tour takes place monthly and is
open to everyone. Patients who are not yet cardholders are also
welcome on the Industry Focus Tour, and will be allowed into
most facilities with visitor passes. To take the June tour, register on
LVMMA’s website, www.lvmma.org.

By Julie Vigil
Cultivated from seed over the course of the past
year, Nevada’s medical cannabis market has slowly
matured and blossomed. Medical dispensaries,
cultivation and production facilities are branching out
across the state and the variety of cannabis-infused
products is just starting to come to fruition.

CHEW LIKE A WEED
Deep Roots Harvest, a cultivation and production facility
located in Mesquite, is now Nevada’s exclusive distributor for
the popular Cheeba Chews, a medical-grade cannabis-infused
candy known as “America’s favorite edible,” according to
High Times.
A three-time
Cannabis Cup
winner, Cheeba
Chews ensures
medical cannabis
consumers a potent,
consistent, and
discreet product. The
company tests its
cannabis oil during multiple stages — from growing through
processing — to ensure a consistent experience with every
chew.
Ryan Breeden, Deep Roots’ chief operating officer, says
his company will offer several types of the medible and
anticipates Cheeba Chews to be on medical dispensary shelves
across the state this month.
“We’re going to start with an indica, a sativa, and a hybrid
Cheeba Chew,” Breeden said. A high-CBD Cheeba Chew will
also be available. “We’re really excited to carry them because
we believe it’s going to provide patients consistency in their
dosages.”
The chews have been compared to Tootsie Rolls but unlike
the classic candy, Cheeba Chews are infused with cannabis

Patients looking for an all-natural path to help
alleviate garden-variety symptoms like pain and
inflammation, nausea, stress, anxiety, skin conditions,
or even mobility need not dig deeper than the newest
line of medibles, holistic cannabinoids, and plantbased nutritional supplements taking root on local
dispensary shelves.

and other all-natural ingredients. They’re a gluten- and
peanut-free product too, and can be easily portioned to suit
patients’ individual needs.
“Cheeba Chews’ bread-and-butter product is a 70 mg
quad dose,” Breeden said. “It’s really a discreet product. I
think the discreetness along with the consistency, and that
it’s low in calories, make it really easy to eat. You can eat
(something the size of) half a Tootsie Roll at 35 mg and you’re
going to feel it.
“I think that’s appealing to people, to be able to medicate
and not have a full stomach,” Breeden added.

GARDEN OF WEEDIN
Dixie Elixirs, another big name in the medibles market, is
breaking ground in Nevada thanks to a joint venture agreement with locally-based Silver State Wellness. The well-known
brand’s line of elixirs, chocolates, Synergy edibles, and mints
should be in
all Nevada
dispensaries by
the end of the
summer, once
the local manufacturing facility
has finished its
build-out.
“We’re taking our tried-and-true and tested formulations
and product development and putting that into the

june | elevatenv.com

11

Nevada market,” said Joe Hodas, Dixie Brands’ chief
marketing officer, “so you’re getting the benefit of the last
six years of development experience we’ve had in perfecting
these products.
“Part of our standard operating procedure is when we
partner with someone they have to triple lab test everything
so that we can assure dosing, quality, and consistency of the
product.”
Late last year, Dixie
Brands introduced two new
products to its hemp wellness
lines: Aceso, designed to
provide general wellness
and relief from minor aches,
pains, and mild anxiety, and
Therabis. Therabis, while
similar to Aceso, is actually
designed for pets to relieve
itchy skin, mild anxieties, and
joint mobility. Both product
lines utilize a holistic cannabinoid blend in the form of a daily
7.5mg CBD powder sachet packet or a 5mg CBD spray.
The Aceso line, named after the Greek goddess of healing,
comes in Calm, Soothe, and Wellness formulas. And for pets,
the Therabis line offers Stop the Itch, Up and Moving, and

Calm and Quiet.
“What’s
really unique
about Aceso —
and Therabis,
although they’re
obviously
designed
for different
audiences — is
that the products
not only have cannabinoids like CBD but they also have other
natural ingredients that attenuate the effect so that it has an
‘entourage effect,’ ” Hodas said. “For example, with Aceso’s
Calm formulation we have the cannabinoids plus terpenes
known for their anti-anxiety effects, such as limonene and
linalool from grapefruit and lavender, and passionflower
extract that provides anxiety-reducing benefits.”
Aceso is currently available for purchase online at
myaceso.com or at Las Vegas dispensaries ReLeaf and Oasis.
Therabis is available for purchase at therabis.com, and at
Sierra Wellness dispensary in Reno and ReLeaf in Las Vegas.

continued on page 24

SHATTER / LOZENGES / CHOCOLATE

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elevatenv.com | june

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Medical cannabis in itself would give the impression that
physician involvement is paramount for patient education and
recommendation. Unfortunately, there is a large disconnection
between physicians and medical cannabis. There is an array of
reasons for this, with some of the more common explanations
being its drug classification, the stigma associated with it, and
lack of education surrounding medical cannabis.
The New England Journal of Medicine conducted a poll
in 2013 which showed the majority of clinicians would
recommend the use of medicinal cannabis in certain
circumstances.1 This was further supported by a subsequent
survey conducted by WebMD/Medscape in 2014 which
showed that a majority of physicians support legalization of
medical cannabis.2
If the majority of physicians support medical cannabis,

14

elevatenv.com | june

why aren’t more of them writing recommendations or
discussing the benefits of medical cannabis with their patients?
Medical cannabis is still classified as a Schedule I drug “with no
currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,”3
thus some physicians may be reluctant to recommend it.
Physicians can prescribe medications after obtaining a
registration number with the Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA), which is part of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
With cannabis being federally illegal, some physicians fear
repercussions from the DOJ. Physicians, who work in large
groups or for hospitals, may also be discouraged from
discussing or recommending medical cannabis as an option
for their patients. This was seen last year at Cambridge Health
Alliance (CHA) in Massachusetts when CHA officials directed
their providers not to certify patients “pending better evidence

about the benefits and risks of marijuana.”4 Physicians may
also be concerned about potential liability and possible
lawsuits.
Most physicians also feel they do not have enough
education on medical cannabis to make recommendations.
The body’s endocannabinoid system and its workings are
not taught in medical schools and physicians interested in
medical cannabis have to do their own research.
In order for cannabis to become more acceptable as a
medicine, physicians need to be more involved. At the very
least, physicians can educate themselves about it. The more
physicians get educated on medical cannabis, the more
comfortable they will be in discussing it as a possible choice
for appropriate patients.
Medical societies also need to take the lead in
educating their physician members. Most states require
continued medical education (CME) for medical or
osteopathic licensure renewal. The requirements vary state
by state. In states where medical cannabis is legal, medical
cannabis CME for providers interested in recommending
this medicine might help encourage more physicians to
educate themselves about it. In Nevada, Clark County
Medical Society (CCMS) has taken an active role in this
matter offering a CME-accredited symposium on medical
cannabis this past April.

Is your medical
marijuana
business ready?

The nation’s largest medical association, American
Medical Association (AMA), is opposed to the legalization
of cannabis; however, the AMA has called for review of
the current scheduling of cannabis as a Schedule I drug.5
Rescheduling of cannabis will open federal funding for
research projects and allow more researchers to study
cannabis.
Most physicians tend to practice conservatively, unless
there is persuasive evidence, they tend to change their
practice patterns very slowly. As more research is conducted
on medical cannabis, more science-based information will
be available to more accurately guide physicians, patients,
and the general public.
Dr. Pouya Mohajer is a Diplomate of the American Board of
Anesthesiology with a subspecialty in pain medicine, and founder
of Nevada Cannabis Medical Association.
REFERENCES
1. Adler JN, Colbert JA. N Engl J Med 2013;368:e30 (www.nejm.org/
doi/full/10.1056/NEJMclde1305159)
2. www.webmd.com/news/breaking-news/marijuana-on-main-street/20140225/webmd-marijuana-survey-web
3. www.dea.gov/druginfo/ds.shtml
4. http://archive.boston.com/health/2015/09/23/niche-business-mainstream-doctors-are-wary-prescribing-medical-marijuana/0tmtBNGOisiE8qJpgFCzJI/story.html
5. www.ama-assn.org/ssl3/ecomm/PolicyFinderForm.pl?site=www.
ama assn.org&uri=/resources/html/PolicyFinder/policyfiles/
HnE/H-95.952.HTM

Put the pieces together with the
FREE readiness report prepared by
the attorneys at Ashcraft & Barr.
Download your free copy today
at www.NVMJLaw.com!

Physicians working in Nevada’s cannabis space embrace and explore the plant’s potential
ducation is key in the world of cannabis. Yet, as essential as it is, it’s one of the trickiest issues patients will encounter
-- a lack of physicians with the cannabis expertise to offer knowledge, education and healing. But take heart, Nevada is
fortunate enough to have a few working in different roles in the medical cannabis industry who are a great resource for
those patients in search of guidance. They not only share an expertise of cannabis, but also an open-minded compassion
for healing and understanding “first, do no harm” in the truest sense.

june | elevatenv.com

17

THE HEALER – DR. SEAN DEVLIN
by Beth Schwartz

Dr. Sean Devlin

Meet the unicorn of medical cannabis in Nevada – Dr.
Sean Devlin of Reno-based Washoe Wellness. The boardcertified family physician is somewhat of a rarified creature in
the world of cannabis care. Not only is he supremely educated
with board certifications and fellowships in Anti-Aging and
Regenerative medicine, a master’s degree in Biochemistry and
doctoral studies in Pharmacology, but he has been treating
patients with cannabis since Nevada voters legalized it in 2000.
“Back then it was very primitive, it was like if you’re going
to smoke it, vaporize it or consume it through inhaling, then
you basically had to take metered doses of it via inhaling, so
you would have one hit, wait five or 10 minutes, and see if you
were having an effect and then take a second one,” explains Dr.
Devlin. “Of course, now the world has changed and we have
almost pharmaceutical-grade cannabis and, in many cases,
are actually able to give milligram dose recommendations to
patients for whatever is ailing them along with combinations
of different cannabinoids and, ultimately, we are going to
recommend a hybrid versus sativa versus indica. We can kind
of sculpt a patient’s therapy around different symptoms and
what they are looking for as far as either relief or treatment
goes. It’s a lot better now than it was 15 or 16 years ago.”
Dr. Devlin was in the second year of his residency at
University of Nevada, Reno when voters passed Question 9,
amending the state constitution to sanction medical cannabis.
Patients would ask him about it and he “would write
recommendations because I had researched it, was familiar
with it, and believed in it,” he explains. “Specifically under
Nevada statutes, the law allows for licensed physicians to make
a recommendation in good faith after they complete a full
history and physical, and have counseled the patients about the
good, the bad and the ugly associated with using cannabis.”
Both an owner and lead physician at Washoe Wellness,

18

elevatenv.com | june

Dr. Devlin became “known in Northern Nevada as somebody
who is not only competent, well researched and credentialed,
but somebody who is open to recommending cannabis for
patients with cancer because I was primarily using it to treat
cancer patients as an antineoplastic and the word got out and
doctors in the area would refer patients to me,” he explains.
“I have seen a multitude of benefits from this one agent that I
have not seen in any agent before. You have anti-nausea effects,
a pro appetite effect, a bone stimulating effect, an immune
modulating effect, antineoplastic effect, an antianxiety effect,
an antispasmodic effect, it’s also anti-inflammatory -- and for
cancer patients with advanced stages of disease it’s a no-brainer.
Globally they need to be on a combination of cannabinoids:
CBD, THC, THC-A.”
In addition to treating patients with advanced stage
cancers who have run out of options, Dr. Devlin’s other
specialties are pain management and Lyme disease. “Yesterday
I saw five patients and all except one had Stage 4 cancer and the
last one had a severe seizure disorder,” he notes. “These folks
are not dreadlocked 21-year-olds who are traveling with the
Rainbow Troop. These are legitimate patients and I think the
public doesn’t really understand that. They get a view of this as
basically being this hippy-dippy, drum circle kind of collective
and that medical marijuana is what they do, and that’s a great
falsehood that’s been foisted on the public through the media.”
Doing his part to correct that falsehood, Dr. Devlin and
his partners decided to bring a game-changer to the world of
cannabis, creating “a very strong academic, scientifically-based
program which would support a cultivation company, an
extracts company, a dispensary, and eventually a clinic -- and all
of those things fell into line over the last two-and-a-half years,”
he explains of Tahoe Regional Botanicals, Tahoe Regional
Extracts, Canopy Reno, and Washoe Wellness.
Naturally, Washoe Wellness, which opened earlier this
year, is the only one of its kind in Nevada -- just like the state’s
other unicorn in the cannabis care space.

THE RESEARCHER – DR. NICK SPIRTOS
by Lissa Townsend Rodgers
The Apothecary Shoppe is a bit different than other Las
Vegas dispensaries. First, there’s the look of the place: Rather
than the standard white box or spa waiting room, it looks like
an old-time library or doctor’s office. But what really sets it
apart is the team behind the glass cases (and what’s in them).
“A group of five of us docs said, ‘Let’s do this,’” explains
Dr. Nick Spirtos, one of the doctors who created the Apothecary
Shoppe. “We have three GYNs, an internist/pulmonologist,
and an anesthesiologist. It’s a diverse group of doctors
that’s used to taking care of patients with pain and other
debilitating issues.”

Dr. Nick Spirtos

In his fourth decade practicing medicine, Spirtos’
specialty is gynecologic oncology—a field whose
complexity appealed to him. “The world of cancer was
always going to be evolving,” he says. “There was never
going to be the issue of boredom. Then there was the
surgical aspect: My dad was a surgeon, I loved going
to the E.R. But the oncological aspect and the challenge
of moving the needle in that field—the genetics, the
computer world has changed our ability to look at
individual genes now. There’s always something
going on.”
Dr. Spirtos’ enthusiasm for new methods of treating
patients includes cannabis. “I grew up in Southern
California during the ‘60s,” he laughs, “So although I
never used any stuff like that, I certainly had an awareness
of it.”
That awareness and openness served his patients
well later: “You watch enough patients who abandon
their treatment because of side effects—you start looking
for other answers for them,” he says, “It was clear,
anecdotally, that patients who could not have their
symptoms relieved by standard available medications
were responding to cannabis in a variety of forms.”
To that end, the Apothecary Shoppe is conducting a
series of medical trials to study the effects of cannabis on
chemotherapy patients. “It’s placebo-controlled—half the
patients get a syrup with no THC or CBD. The other half
will get the medicated syrup,” Spirtos explains, “After
they’re treated, we compare it to their baseline, their first
cycle of chemotherapy and their responses, their nausea
and vomiting based on that first cycle.”
The ability to conduct these studies and others like
them was a motivating factor in opening the Apothecary
Shoppe. The doctors involved see the dispensary less as
a way to make money than as a way to make change in
patients’ lives, not only through dispensing medicine,

june | elevatenv.com

19

but through researching it. Spirtos explains, “We wanted to
know that if we wanted our studies done, that would be a
priority. If we had to choose between using oil in a syrup for
our studies versus oil in a vape pen to sell—those are some
of the choices you make.”
Spirtos says the study will take a year to complete, but
the timeframe also depends on how fast patients can get
their medical marijuana cards—a problem many Nevada
cardholders are familiar with—which are required to
participate in the study.
While Spirtos appreciates the Silver State’s rigorous
licensing as compared to California’s laissez-faire attitude—
“the state has tried very hard to do this properly, they want
it regulated, they want the quality”—he notes that such
thoroughness carries problems. “Imagine you see a patient
who’s vomiting their guts out, who can’t handle their
chemotherapy. But you can’t get them a Nevada card for
eight weeks, 10 weeks, 12 weeks. That’s three-quarters of the
way through their chemotherapy.”
Even though the study is still underway, patients
undergoing chemotherapy can get access to the syrup he
is testing now as the Apothecary Shoppe sells it under the
name Soothing Remedies medicated syrup.
Despite the delays, Dr. Spirtos is still happy to see
patients who need medicine finally getting it—and other
doctors increasingly willing to give it to them. “There's a
generalized acceptance that there's a benefit,” he says. And
Dr. Nick Spirtos and the Apothecary Shoppe will continue
researching—and offering—those benefits for as long as
patients need them.

THE EDUCATOR – DR. WILLIAM TROUTT
By Beth Schwartz

Photo by Jeff Ragazzo

Dr. William Troutt

“Cannabis is not a one-size-fits-all medicine,” explains
Dr. William Troutt, a licensed Naturopathic physician
who specializes in cannabis-based medicine. “It’s very

individualized to the patient who is using it.”
That’s why he believes dosing is one of the most
important things a patient needs to understand when
using cannabis. “How they start dosing is very important,
especially as far as the experience they are going to get from
it. We educate patients on conservative dosing or safe dosing
strategies,” says Dr. Troutt, who is the Director of Medical
Education for Las Vegas dispensary, The Source.
“However,” he cautions, “we are not their treating
physician so we can’t tell them what to specifically take.
But, we can educate them on strategies they can use to most
conservatively find the best dose that works for them.”
Another tenet Dr. Troutt espouses during the new patient
orientation he teaches at The Source each month is that
cannabis’ psychoactive effect is not for everybody. “There are
some people who just do not do well with it. People who have
never used cannabis before typically are a lot more affected by
that psychoactive effect than someone who is a regular user of
it. So we educate them on THC and how they can use that as
an indicator of the psychoactive potency of the medicine and
understand which medicines may have more THC.”
Dr. Troutt, who also provides medical direction for five
dispensaries in Arizona, has been educating patients on
dosing and offering guidance on cannabis since 2010 when
the Medical Marijuana Act passed in Arizona. “For the last six
years, I have been exclusively working with cannabis patients
and dispensaries, which allowed many of the patients and the
physicians to come out of the closet.
“When I first started practicing medicine in 2004, I had
many patients who were using cannabis medically but they
just couldn’t talk about it then, obviously, because of the
politics of it and the law. But as a naturopath who was open
to that, they would share that with me and I would take that
into consideration for their full treatment plan,” says Dr.
Troutt, who is a member of the Society of
Cannabis Clinicians.
And that is one of the major challenges with regard to
patient education, according to Dr. Troutt. “I hate to say it,
but that is still taking place now -- patients don’t want to
talk to their primary care physicians or the specialists they
are seeing about their medical cannabis use because they are
afraid they are either going to get kicked out of their practice
or the physician is going to have biases against them. That is
still the biggest problem we are facing -- patients are scared
to have that dialogue.”
Although patients might not feel comfortable talking to
their primary care physicians, they can feel at ease speaking
with Dr. Troutt in his role at The Source. He notes that, “The
Source really does care about this being a medical program
and putting patients first and absolutely provides great
educational resources so the patients can get the best benefit
out of this medicine.”

This is going to be one of those
stories where the customer liked the
product so much he bought the business.
Joff Paradise, a former member of the
Airborne Special Forces for 27 years, was
so satisfied with the results cannabidiol
or CBD had in helping treat his PTSD and
chronic pain, he decided to start an online
business that would allow him to make it
available to others who were suffering.
“We are in this to help people, I
want to give back,” said Paradise of
myhempcare.com, where he sells CBDbased products that comes in the form of
sprays, capsules and concentrates and is
legal in all 50 states. “I tell patients and
clients all the time, I might not add
years to your life, but I can definitely
add life to your years.”
After discovering CBD in 2014,
Paradise put life in his own years
by slowly weaning himself off of
21 pharmaceuticals he used to treat
chronic pain and PTSD he suffered
as a result of a military career that
included being shot four times,
stabbed twice, and blown up once.
Those injuries resulted in a textbook
amputation of the military veteran’s
left leg, a complete right knee
replacement, plates in his head
and knee, and a total of 34 surgeries
and procedures just on his neck and
spine alone.

22

elevatenv.com | june

At the
suggestion of a
fellow military
veteran who had
been exposed to Agent Orange and was a
proponent of medical cannabis, Paradise
initially started using CBD for “intense
pain in my stump, but I have pain all
over. I was suffering from all this chronic
pain. But my biggest pain area and the
place where I saw it work the quickest
was on my phantom pain.
“Used to be, I always felt like
something was standing on my foot,
crushing it or I would have a burning
sensation in the balls of my feet that

physically part of the body. “After using
CBD, that pain wasn’t there anymore.
Now it just feels normal and that’s a big
deal because phantom pain makes some
people go crazy. Since I have been using
CBD, it’s gone and that just blows my
mind because no doctor can do anything
for phantom pain. There is no remedy or
drug that they can prescribe to you for
phantom pain.”
Paradise, who is 53, uses 100
milligrams of CBD spray from
myhempcare.com each day, two squirts

Since I have been
using CBD, it’s gone
and that just blows
my mind because no doctor can do
anything for phantom pain. There
is no remedy or drug that they can
prescribe to you for phantom pain."
wouldn’t stop,” Paradise explained of
his phantom pain sensations, which are
perceptions related to a limb that is not

in the morning and two squirts in the
evening. “After it saturates the cells of the
body and the receptors and the nerves, it

just works and it continues to work,” he relayed.
“When I first had my brain injury I couldn’t find my
way around the block, I couldn’t complete a sentence
and I would lose focus about what I was talking about,”
Paradise recalled. “Now today, since I have cleared up
all the prescription medications and use CBD, I can get
anywhere we need to go, I am not getting lost anymore, I
am keeping my focus and I don’t stutter since I have been
able to drop pharmaceuticals.”
Not only can Paradise focus now, but he is also
currently on track to get his Ph.D. in anti-aging medicine
and nanotechnology in 2018 and finds himself in a much
different mental state.
“I am functioning now but before I didn’t want to go
out into society, I was mad all the time. I wasn’t a happy
person. Now I am easy to deal with. Instead of fighting
at being an amputee, I accepted it. Now I am walking, I
am going to conventions and I am giving seminars about
homeopathic ways and being a naturalist,” Paradise
explained. “It’s just a life-changing event to not be living
in a fog. It changed my whole attitude, it changed my
way of thinking.”

june | elevatenv.com

23

continued from page 12

BREAKING NEW GROUND
There is an over-the-counter and prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) epidemic tearing
through the United States, debilitating and even killing
tens of thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds
every year.
Fueled by physicians’ desires to treat America’s chronic
pain problems, and with an aggressive marketing push
from pharmaceutical companies, doctors wrote 259 million
prescriptions for opioid painkillers in 2012 alone — that’s
enough to give a bottle of pills to every adult in the country.
Too often people are unaware of the very dangerous and
very real side effects that come with frequent and long-term
use of NSAIDs, such as blood clots, strokes, kidney failure,
high blood pressure, heart attacks, and intestinal bleeding.
Armed with this knowledge, educated patients who
seek a safer and all-natural alternative to aiding their body’s
own response to musculoskeletal inflammation now have
two new holistic dietary supplements to turn to, Preleve and
HempChoice Preleve.
"We built the Preleve brand to be an advocate for both
patients and licensed medical providers,” said Dr. Scott
Martin, CEO and founder of Preleve Therapeutics. “We have
focused our efforts on handcrafting more pure, and more

holistic alternatives to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
medications and narcotics."
To augment the body’s natural response to
inflammation, targeted botanicals like Chinese skullcap,
curcumine (turmeric), ginger, boswellia extract, and
undenatured collagen are used in Preleve products, which
are 100 percent natural, GMO-free, and soy-free, and are
taken via a plant-based capsule.
HempChoice Preleve has the same five nutraceuticals
as Preleve, plus the added benefit of phytocannabinoid-rich
(PCR) hemp oil. HempChoice, a highly concentrated PCR
hemp oil, increases the bioavailability of phytocannabinoids,
meaning the body can absorb it easily.
"Our goal is to provide dietary supplements patients
and licensed medical providers can rely upon,” Dr. Martin
said, noting Preleve is currently available through licensed
healthcare providers while HempChoice Preleve will be
available this summer through medicinal dispensaries only.
“Our Preleve brand was expertly developed and is
meticulously manufactured to help promote the body’s
natural response to inflammatory musculoskeletal stress,”
explained Dr. Martin. “We invested heavily to provide our
clients products that maximize bioavailability and minimize
psychoactive effects."

THE DESTINATION FOR LAS VEGAS MEDICAL CANNABIS

NOW OFFERING 20% OFF TO FIRST TIME PATIENTS!
t
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24

Out of State Patients WELCOME!
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MOST POPULAR STRAINS:
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MOST POPULAR CONCENTRATES:
Giddy Up Live Resin, Kabunky Shatter
RANGE OF EDIBLES: Nevada Medical
Marijuana carries Kabunky dark, milk
and white chocolate bars and Kabunky
multi-flavored lozenges as well as a line of
sugar-free products. All of Nevada Medical
Marijuana’s edibles are manufactured
through an agreement with Sweet
Elements, confectionary consultants to
Nestlé's Disney General Mills and Sunkist.
MISSION STATEMENT | Nevada Medical
Marijuana (NMM) is not only committed
to providing quality state-regulated
and tested medical marijuana in flower,
extracts, edible and infused products to
valid medical marijuana patients, but
also to educating new patients on how far
the industry has come and the healing
properties of cannabis as an alternative
solution to pharmaceuticals, especially
with the current opiate epidemic.
PATIENT PHILOSOPHY | NMM strives
to dispense a better quality of life for all of
its patients, which the dispensary achieves
by identifying the strains that best
target the patient’s ailment and, in turn,

26

elevatenv.com | june

recommending a patient-specific strain
that has the most positive affect. NMM
bud-tenders work with each patient to
educate them on the methods
of consumption and the effects of
medical marijuana.
STAFF EDUCATION | The staff at
Nevada Medical Marijuana is trained by
the dispensary’s general manager Chris
DeGraff. “I take this very seriously,”
explained DeGraff, who has been in the
industry for over 5 years and managed
dispensaries in Colorado. “I make sure
all my employees are fully trained on
every single product that comes through
our doors. At the end of the day, we are
dealing with medicine so we need to
make sure our bud-tenders are highly
trained.”
CUSTOMER SERVICE | From the time
they walk in the door to the time they
leave, NMM’s patients are treated the
same, relays DeGraff. “Our staff finds
out how the patient likes to medicate,
their experiences from the past and what
works best for them. Medical marijuana
affects every person differently so we
find out what product works for them
the best,” he explained.

UNIQUE ATTRIBUTE | Located in
a professional medical complex,
NMM is staffed by some of the most
knowledgeable bud-tenders in the state,
according to DeGraff. “The relationships
our patients have with our bud-tenders
are unique. If you have been here more
than once, we know you by name,” he
said. “Our dispensary is a place where
anybody, young or old, can come and
the bud-tenders selling it to them are
very knowledgeable of our products."
SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAMS | DeGraff and his team
are working on a series of how-to
videos to educate patients about topics
such as dabbing, rolling a joint, and
keeping medicine fresh. NMM will
also be starting a monthly cooking
class featuring chef demonstrations
for patients who want to learn about
making infused butter or oil to use in
their food.
NOTEWORTHY EXPERTS | Van
McConnon, a nationally recognized
cannabis cultivation expert, runs
NMM’s grow facility. Jason Emo, closed
loop innovator and founder of EmoTek
Labs, is also on the NMM team.

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THE RAPID GROWTH OF THE LEGALIZED CANNABIS
INDUSTRY HAS MADE IT ONE OF THE FASTEST
GROWING SECTORS OF THE UNITED STATES
ECONOMY, SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTING
NEARLY EVERY INDUSTRY.

CWCBEXPO 2016

NEW YORK CITY - JAVITS CENTER

JUNE 15-17, 2016

The cannabis industry’s top brands and thought-leaders
will be at the premier show on the East Coast that
focuses on investment, entrepreneurship, cannabis
business owners, business services and future
industry growth. Will you be there?

VISIT WWW.CWCBEXPO.COM TO REGISTER

june | elevatenv.com

27

JOIN US FOR
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Thursday, June 9 at 5 PM
Featuring: food, drinks,
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MEDICATING IN THE WORKPLACE
RISKING YOUR JOB OR RISKING YOUR HEALTH: DO YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE?

Y

By Amanda Connor

ou are a medical marijuana patient in Nevada. Your employer requests a drug test. Your first thought: Do I
have to tell my employer about my patient status? And, more importantly, can my employer fire me for using
medical marijuana?

Do I have to inform my employer?
In Nevada, a patient is not required to inform their employer about their patient status. That information is confidential.
However, if a patient wants to tell an employer, the patient can consult with an attorney to decide the most favorable way to do so.

Can my employer fire me for using medical marijuana?
Nevada is one of the few states that attempt to minimize discrimination against medical marijuana patients. However, the
law is still a little unclear for patients. A patient should first check the employer’s drug policy.
Currently, Nevada law says an employer does not have to allow the use of marijuana on the business property; including
medical marijuana. Therefore, on company property, an employer can enforce or create regulations that prohibit medical
marijuana use. However, to protect patient rights, the Nevada Legislature amended the statute (NRS 453A.800), which requires
employers to attempt reasonable accommodations for employees who hold valid patient cards.
So what does that mean? Reasonable accommodations are changes that enable an individual to perform their duties, or let
an employee enjoy equal benefits and privileges of the position. Some examples of reasonable accommodation include updating
facilities, job restructuring, or acquiring new equipment.
The amended statute also has some limitations. An employer can avoid reasonable accommodations if the changes:
• Pose a threat of harm or danger to persons or property or impose an undue hardship on the employer; or
• Prohibit the employee from fulfilling any and all of his or her job responsibilities.

What poses a threat of harm or danger?
Jobs that require the use of heavy machinery or operation of equipment that can be dangerous if used incorrectly may fall within
this category. For example, if an employee has to drive a forklift on the side of a busy highway, the employer may prohibit marijuana

30

elevatenv.com | june

use to ensure the safety of both the employee and the public.
But keep in mind; since medical marijuana law is still under
development, Nevada has yet to define this language.The courts
will likely play a role in narrowing down the specifics.

What is an undue hardship on the employer?
Second, there is an “undue hardship” limitation. An
employer does not have to make reasonable accommodations
if the changes would impose an undue hardship on the
business. Again, the Nevada Equal Rights Commission
defines an undue hardship as actions “requiring significant
difficulty or expense when considered in light of factors such
as an employer's size, financial resources and the nature and
structure of its operation.”

What prohibits an employee from fulfilling a job
responsibility?
Lastly, an employer does not have to make reasonable
accommodations if the changes would prohibit the employee
from fulfilling any and all of his or her job responsibilities.
Nevada does not define this language, so the application is
a little unclear. But it can be inferred that a bus driver, who
cannot drive while under the influence of marijuana, cannot
fulfill his job responsibility and the employer is not forced to
accommodate. As with the other exceptions, the details will

probably be determined by future legislation and
Nevada’s courts.

Are there any other exceptions or limitations?
There may be other special circumstances that restrict
the use of medical marijuana for certain jobs. Since marijuana
is still federally illegal, federal government jobs can still be
terminated based on marijuana usage. Additionally, jobs
that involve public safety or transportation may have
heightened restrictions.
Lastly, if a patient requires frequent use of medical
marijuana, employers can still have restrictions on being
under the influence during work hours or using on
business property.
As always, the law will evolve as the industry grows.
It is important to remember that Nevada is an “at-will”
employment state which allows employees to be terminated
without cause at any time. Therefore, it is difficult to tell an
employee if they will be protected. Upcoming legislation and
the court system will likely play a huge role in the future of
patients’ rights and medical marijuana.
If you have any questions about medical marijuana law
and rights in Nevada, you should contact an attorney familiar
with medical marijuana laws.

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A subsidiary of Terra Tech Corp., the first publicly
traded, vertically integrated medical marijuana company,
Blüm dispensary has opened a Las Vegas location at
1921 Western Avenue. Blüm opened on April 20th and
offers many products from local cultivations as well
as Terra Tech’s exclusive concentrate line, IVXX. The
dispensary also carries unsweetened topical and ingestible
medications. letsblum.com
THRIVE Cannabis Marketplace, downtown Las
Vegas’ largest medical cannabis dispensary at 10,000
square feet, has opened at 1112 S. Commerce. Downtown’s
THRIVE Cannabis Marketplace carries the highest quality
medical cannabis, including a full line of edibles, tinctures,
oils and concentrates, as well as a variety of vape pens
and glass pipes. Appointed with chic, urban-industrial
décor designed to foster a sense of old-school charm and
relaxation, the downtown dispensary features a rotating
art gallery showcasing work by local artists. THRIVE’s
North Las Vegas location is also open at 2755 W. Cheyenne
Ave. thrivenevada.com
The first of three Nevada locations of The Dispensary
will open this month at 5347 S. Decatur. The other two are
planned for Henderson and Reno. “One of my plans is to
comingle the cultures of Reno and Las Vegas because they
both have amazing products that can crossover,” explains
Ryan Bondhus, menu curator and floor manager of
the Dispensary.
With strains curated by the Dispensary’s staff of
connoisseurs, cicerones, and the Canna Somm of Bake N
Wake Review, Bondhus says “we will have a live menu that
will always be changing and morphing to what the patient
wants, what the growers are doing, and what’s the best in
town. So we are never going to have a stagnant menu.”
The Dispensary will require its budtenders to go
through a week’s worth of training, during which they
will learn about the five major cannabinoids as well as
the top 12 terpenes. In addition, “they will have to take
a test, much like a food server would, not only on our
menu, but also on the terpene and cannabinoid profiles,
to make sure they are ready to stand behind the counter,”
relays Bondhus. “Two times a month our budtenders
are required to go to a canna class where during the
first half hour I will be going through tasting notes with
them, and they will meet master growers who will be on
hand to personally educate the staff on their products.”
thedispensarynv.com

itchell Britten, founder and CEO of two THRIVE Cannabis
Marketplace dispensaries in Southern Nevada, as well as a North Las
Vegas growing facility, worked in Colorado’s cannabis industry from
2009-2014, making him a virtual veteran in the industry. When Britten started
his cannabis journey in 2009 for a Colorado company, it had a single store, a
5,000-square-foot grow, and a staff of 30 people. By the time Britten left the
company in 2014, he was managing 13 stores, 550 employees, and $40 million a
year in sales. With regard to his experience in the space, Elevate was curious to
find out how the cannabis industries differed between Colorado and Nevada.

WHAT WILL YOU BRING TO THE
NEVADA MARKET THAT ISN’T
ALREADY HERE?
The first thing I am bringing to
Nevada is changing the pricing
model. I think I was the first store that
came to market here that doesn’t price
our products based on THC content.
I compare it to alcohol, you don’t
always go and order Everclear just
because it’s 180-proof. Most people
like to have a glass of wine and will
pay more for a glass of wine that’s
13 percent alcohol versus something
like Everclear or vodka. I do think the
entire industry will shift more towards
exactly what the consumer wants, it
won’t be driven by THC or CBD -instead it will be the strains everyone
is looking for. It’s not necessarily that
this strain is 13 percent; it will be that
this strain tastes good and makes me
feel good and it was exactly what I
was looking for. Not everybody in
the market is out to get high and I
think a really big misconception is
that everybody who smokes pot is
looking to get high and that couldn’t
be further from the truth.
HOW IS THRIVE UNIQUE TO THE
NEVADA MARKETPLACE?
Branding our stores as cannabis

36

marketplaces was really important to
me. I wanted to position THRIVE to
be the storefront for the cultivators
who didn’t get storefronts and, in
turn, we would be a one-stop shop
that doesn’t just sell our product.
My product will probably only
meet about 30 to 40 percent of our
customers’ demands so I am looking
for that other 70 percent of product to
come from the state’s top cultivators
so patients don’t have to go anyplace
else. It’s important for making sure
the patients have really easy access to
the medication that they need.
DO YOU THINK THE DEA WILL
RESCHEDULE CANNABIS
FROM 1 TO 2?
It would be great. I think it would
bring in a new set of challenges that
aren’t necessarily good or bad. I think
there are upsides and downsides
to the possibility of rescheduling. I
would encourage it. A lot of people
who don’t want to drop through the
regulatory loops are not going to be
in favor of adding to the compliance
load. But the way that I look at my
job in this industry is that it has
very little to do with marijuana
and it has everything to do with
compliance. People who share that

elevatenv.com | industry connect | june

same viewpoint will succeed if it is
rescheduled because it’s a necessity to
our industry. People who are willing
to get on board will do a great job and
those that don’t want to deal with all
of the red tape won’t do so well.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST
SURPRISING THING YOU HAVE
DISCOVERED ABOUT CANNABIS?
It’s shaped up to be a lot more
emotional of an industry than I
thought it was going to be. I have
received more invites to funerals in
this industry than anybody probably
gets in a lifetime. It’s because these
families see you as part of this
support system that’s been helping
their loved ones. Usually by the time
they turn to cannabis, oftentimes it’s
too late so it’s less about a cure and
more about the end-of-life comfort
it can lend. That to me has been
the most surprising thing. I didn’t
anticipate getting attached to people
and see people go through the hardest
part of their life. Fighting for your
life is a tough one and an emotional
situation for everybody surrounded
by it.
To read our entire interview with
Mitchell Britten, visit elevatenv.com/
Elevating_the_Conversation.

37

elevatenv.com | june

april | elevatenv.com

37

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